You are not a special snowflake. Many people resist innovation by talking about all of the special problems they face. Too many constraints, too much regulation, a risk-averse corporate culture, a complacent, traditional industry, or a unique set of obstacles that you can’t possibly understand if you don’t face them yourself – all of these are terrible excuses for not innovating.

As an inventor I have witnessed a fairly distinctive pattern of intrapreneurship within my own multi-national corporation (EMC). The employees that are the most successful at advancing their ideas through the corporate maze tend to operate using a fairly well-defined rhythm. The chart below breaks down this rhythm into a set of discrete steps that can be learned and practiced by creative employees world-wide.